You & Me
by theideaofyou
Summary: Alba Hayes has moved to Forks with her younger brother to live with her aunt following her dad's death. Shortly after, her brother begins acting more weird than normal, and she begins to become suspicious of the teenage boys that he has taken to hanging out with on the Quileute reservation. She is quickly swept up into a world not thought possible. Rated M. Jacob/OC.
1. bounce back

**Hi! Thanks for clicking. This is my first story that I am dedicated to sticking to. I have some good ideas bouncing around in my head. I don't currently have anyone to edit except myself, so I hope I have edited as best as possible.**

 **Side notes: I'm not a huge fan of the Bella and Edward part of the story. So I may not speak too fondly of that, or focus on it much other than necessary. This story takes place slightly before and during Eclipse. I'm gonna stick with the script until I can veer off the books.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Stephanie Meyer's Twilight Saga, nor any of the characters except my own original ones.**

ONE

From the front seat of Aunt Sophie's car, I squinted my eyes, trying to peer through the impending darkness at the engulfing green scenery we passed by. The attempt fell in vein; only trees and other car headlights were visible at this time of night.

Although having visited this place—Forks, I reminded myself—countless times throughout my childhood, I still felt like I was in a completely alien town. Maybe that was because when I visited, my dad had always been there. Now that he was gone, everything felt foreign to me.

My dad's death, not unexpected, had been a long time coming. In fact, after the doctor gave his estimate, it seemed like my family waited for it to happen, morbid as that sounds. By the end, most of my grieving took place in the following weeks where he sat me and my younger brother down to tell us he had terminal brain cancer. It was around the time I noticed him losing his sense of self that his sister, our Aunt Sophie, came to live with us in Oregon, helping out with his medical treatments and anything we needed. She'd left everything behind in Washington where she lived, including her husband and her job as an elementary school teacher. Luckily, they granted her a temporary leave under the unfortunate circumstances. I'd grown unexpectedly close with her, whether it be because she was the female companionship I constantly craved, or the loneliness I began experiencing when my own father couldn't recognize me.

The funeral brought on a sense of relief, knowing that the months of suffering were over. I felt some sense of comfort knowing that my parents were together once more. Of course, it was nothing compared to the absolute loss inside me knowing they would never see me graduate, or go to college, get married. Even thinking I could never talk to them, or fight with them over stupid shit I would regret when I got older. Stupid shit I'd fought with him about over the years. Knowing my future children wouldn't know my goofball dad, who wore baseball caps every chance he could and told the same story a million times and, God bless him, bought tampons and pads for me late at night when I first got my period. The absence of my mother, who died giving birth to my brother when I was three, had long been settled, had been set in stone as a part of my life. My father...who raised me and my brother alone, who worked and supported us and taught us everything we knew today...

I pushed these thoughts out of my head. Now was not the time. Dad made me promise that I wouldn't cry or grieve anymore than necessary. That I had to be strong for Theo, who had been lost long before all the shit came flying at us. As much as we fought and as far as we had drifted apart, I couldn't imagine what it was like for Theo; he was only fourteen. At least I made it through most of my teenage years, had gotten to celebrate my seventeenth birthday a month ago with Dad.

Darkness settled like a blanket over the small town of Forks. Sophie began driving through a more residential part of town, most of the houses lit with light. Some pop music played softly on the radio. The five hour drive from Silverton had been a mostly quiet one, save for some conversation between me and Sophie. Theo, dead silent in the back seat, headphones in his ears, had his eyes closed. I doubted he was actually sleeping.

We drove for another ten minutes or so. I remember Sophie explaining she lived near the border of Forks and the Native American reservation called La Push. That was where my mom grew up. Dad grew up in Forks, with his sister and his parents, and where he met his future wife. My paternal grandparents lived in Florida now, living in retirement glory; my mom's mom resided in California. Only Sophie and her husband remained, my parents having relocated to Oregon for my dad's job before I was born.

The house we pulled up to was modest and classic, two stories with a driveway and one car garage—well, to be fair, it was dark out and I couldn't see much else except the downstairs lights that illuminated the place.

As Sophie put the car in park and turned off the ignition, I began climbing out of the car, my tired muscles rejoicing in finally standing up. The front door opened then, and Dominic, my uncle, emerged from the house, as well as their dog, Finn, who I only recognized from pictures. I let the dog come bounding up to me, sniffing, licking, and panting. I petted him affectionately, the dog giving me a lift I needed.

"Alba, it's good to see you," Dominic said simply before hugging me, a warm and familial embrace that I welcomed gratefully. We were not particularly close, but I liked him and we got along well.

After the greeting, he started grabbing some of our luggage out of the car. A lot of our stuff—like my dad's stuff—had been put into storage. The other half was shipped out and we would receive it within a week or so.

Theo finally emerged from the car, a sullen expression on his face.

"Hey buddy, how you doing?" asked Dominic, reaching out his hand to shake.

My brother ignored the handshake, instead turning to Sophie. "Where's my room? I'm tired."

"We could use your help with _our_ stuff, Theo," I interjected, seeing Sophie's frustrated facial expression. I put emphasis on "our", considering half of it was his. My aunt was much younger than my dad, and the amount of stress and pressure there was to help raise her niece and nephew took a toll on her. I tried to help with Theo as much as possible; he was my brother, after all.

"Yeah, if we all grab a couple things, it will only take one trip," added Dominic.

"Whatever. Fine." Theo sighed audibly.

And they say girls are dramatic.

Between the four of us, Finn trailing on our heels, we managed to get everything in the house fairly quickly. Dominic helped my brother take his bags to his room first, so the complaining could stick to a minimum. When they went up the wooden staircase to the second floor, which housed three bedrooms, I joined my aunt in the kitchen. I plopped down at the island counter, while Sophie opened the fridge and took out some Chinese takeout leftovers and popped them in the microwave. When the food was properly warmed, she dished out two plates of vegetable lo-mein, chicken and broccoli, and white rice, placing one of them in front of me. She poured herself a glass of wine and offered me a glass of iced tea. Surprisingly, with my recent lack of appetite, the food smelled good and I felt a small pang of hunger.

Dominic came down five minutes later as Sophie and I silently picked through our food, too tired to keep up much conversation. However, when her husband sat down, running his hands through his dark brown hair, both of us could tell Theo stressed him out.

"What's the damage?" asked Sophie, sipping on her wine.

"I tried to talk to him, but he didn't say anything. Just stared at me."

"He won't talk to anyone. Don't take it personally," I said, taking another bite of chicken.

Dominic shrugged. "I guess I just feel like I should help him out, you know? He's only fourteen. He's such a sensitive kid..." He trailed off, folding his hands together in defeat.

"Who knows, maybe the change of pace will be good for him," suggested Sophie.

I hated to rain on their parade, but I never was one to hold my tongue. "All I know is that Theo has been moody since the day he started puberty. Don't hold your breath on him becoming some happy-go-lucky kid."

Post-dinner, in which I actually felt full and satisfied, Sophie showed me to my room. It was smaller than my old one, but I couldn't complain. The walls were painted a mint green, blank of pictures and posters because, as Sophie said, "I want you to decorate it so it feels more like home." There was a full-sized bed and tiny closet, a desk and—the best part of the room—a reading nook accompanied with throw pillows, the window covered by a transparent curtain.

I hugged my aunt goodnight, thanking her quietly. She closed the door behind her. I collapsed on the bed, sighing with exhaustion. Seeing as it was only nearing nine o' clock, I didn't allow myself to fall asleep just yet.

Instead, I checked my cell phone, noticing that I had a few text messages from friends back home. I replied to them absentmindedly, then set it down on the nightstand to charge. I extracted my laptop from my backpack, opened up iTunes, and put on some music while I worked on unpacking.

By eleven, all the clothes I had with me were arranged in the closet. There weren't many personal touches to be had yet, considering most of it was on its way here via a hired U-Haul, save for the "fairy lights" I strung up around the room and a few drawings of mine which I tacked on the wall, my favorite pastels I had done over the years. Then there was one picture of me and my parents when my mom was pregnant with Theo, at some lake in Oregon we used to go to. I propped it up on my desk, next to my laptop and my drawing pad. I made sure to bring it with me for safekeeping.

Tiredness subsiding from being active, I settled in the comfy reading nook with my drawing pad and a box of half-used pastels. There was not much I could draw in front of me, so I started sketching randomly, letting my hands do the work.

Most of the time, I envisioned a picture, or set up shop in a specific scenery I could draw. I liked looking at, say, a flower or a landscape and watching it translate onto the small rectangle at my fingertips. Tonight, however, I closed my eyes, ready to put pastel to paper whatever first popped to mind. After looking at the picture of my parents and I on the beach only minutes before, I found myself starting to outline a pair of eyes.

One of my earliest memories was Dad telling me, "Alba, you have your mother's eyes. That's how you'll remember her when you're older. Every time you look in the mirror, a piece of her lives on in you."

He repeated it to me often over the years, anytime I felt more distraught than usual about my mother's death. Looking at pictures of my mom when she was younger, it was true. I resembled her, especially where our hazel eyes were concerned. Easily enough, I got lost in recreating the pair of even set eyes, almond shaped and eyelids hooded, framed by full, dark lashes.

At some point, I felt my eyes growing heavy, a yawn escaping my lips. I glanced up from the drawing, setting down the pastel in my hand, flexing the stiffening fingers. Outside was dark, the only light coming from the crescent moon half shrouded by clouds. I stood up, leaving the drawing open to its page and pastels on the window seat.

Dull light seeped through the window, streaming across the room, when I woke the next morning. I felt a lazy sort of tiredness lingering on my body, my eyes refusing to stay open for long. The bed felt too comforting to consider leaving. Seeing as it was Sunday, tomorrow meant my start at a new high school for the remaining two months of school. Better to soak up the last chance of sleeping in for the next five days while I had the chance.

When at last I dragged myself out of bed, I threw on a sweatshirt and padded out of my room and down the hallway. I heard voices as I approached the stairs; obviously, Sophie and Dominic...and a third voice? The only thing I could recognize was that it was female.

Down the stairs I went, taking a right into the kitchen. Finn lay at his owner's feet, lifting his head slightly when he saw me, but immediately laying back down. Dominic sat at the counter, eating a plate of eggs and toast, a mug of what I assumed was coffee in his free hand. He wore his pajamas still. Sophie, her blonde hair falling in loose waves, was already dressed for the day, wearing a button-up and a pair of boyfriend jeans. Across from them, a mug of coffee in her hands, stood a beautiful woman. Clearly a resident of La Push, she resembled my mom in her russet-colored, bronzed skin, her ink black locks fashioned in a sleek ponytail. She wore little makeup except red lipstick and abruptly stopped talking as she saw me walk through the entryway.

"If I didn't know any better, I would say you were Brenda herself," the woman observed.

I stood there, slightly taken aback at her comment, unsure of how to respond. Luckily, I didn't have to.

Sophie added, "Alba, this is your mom's childhood friend, Iris. She knew your parents really well back in the day."

"It's nice to meet you." I smiled, walking closer to the group. I always found it awkward when people acted like they knew you because they know someone else close to you. I hoped she wasn't one of those who expected me to act like she was family.

"Technically, we met when you were a baby, but of course you don't remember that." Iris paused then, her expression changing to one that I came to recognize over the course of her father's passing. "I spoke with your father before he died. He told me you were coming back to Washington to live with your aunt. I only wished I could have been there to say goodbye. Your parents—they were dear to me. Your mother was like my own sister."

I nodded, as always finding it difficult to respond in such situations. A hard lump formed in my throat. Despite the preparation and the knowledge that death would come for my father, it never made it easier to think about it. The worst had passed, but every day came with struggle. Besides, knowing this woman was close to my mom almost made me feel jealous, that someone I barely knew got more time with her than I did.

Iris reached across the counter where we stood diagonal and patted my hand affectionately. "Don't worry, honey, you don't have to say anything. In fact, that's not why I came here in the first place." She set down the mug of coffee, then continued, "I live on the reservation with my husband and my two sons, Jared and James. We would love for you and your brother to come over sometime for dinner. Tonight, even. Jared and a few of his friends are coming, and I always cook for a whole brood. Teenage boys—you wouldn't believe the appetite on them. Of course, you and your husband are invited, too, Sophie."

"That's so nice of you, Iris. Well—we don't have any plans," said Sophie.

"It would be good for Theo to meet some friends his own age," Dominic agreed.

The three collectively looked at me for approval.

I nodded. "Sounds great." Not that it seemed like much of a choice for me anyway.

"Perfect! How does five-thirty sound? Sophie, I'll message you my address. It's not ten minutes from here."

Once Iris left, I sat down to eat some breakfast. Some time later, Theo descended from his bedroom, his dark hair messily splayed atop his head, wearing mismatched pajamas.

Dominic had left to take Finn for a walk, so it was me and Sophie at the counter, talking about Iris.

"Want some eggs?" offered Sophie, pointing to the plate of eggs leftover near the stove.

Theo shook his head. "You got cereal or something?"

"In the cupboard to the left of the fridge," she replied, pointing.

My brother took out a box of Trix and poured himself a heaping bowl, along with milk. He chose to sit next to me, spooning the sugary cereal into his mouth rather quickly.

"So, your parent's old friend stopped by this morning," Sophie started, looking at Theo. "She invited us to their house for dinner, in La Push. She has a son your age."

Theo wrinkled his face in displeasure, his spoon paused halfway. "No, thanks."

I rolled my eyes, exchanging familiar glances with my aunt.

"It's not that big a deal. Besides, you might make some friends." Sophie grinned at her nephew, trying to convince him. His face remained blank. "Come on, Theo—it's not like you actually have to be friends with them. Would it kill you to go? And I'll...I don't know, you'll get something in return."

This last statement caught my brother's interest. Anything he did was purely self-motivated. If he got something as a result, that almost guaranteed his commitment. "Promise me I don't have to go to school for the rest of the year and you got a deal," he bargained, smirking.

I smacked his arm.

Sophie sighed. "That's not an option. A new game for your Xbox or something, maybe..."

Theo seemed to consider this for a moment, taking his time to chew and swallow his theory.

Smart ass. If I were Sophie, I'd tell him he had no choice. He was the kid, after all. I knew Sophie tried to be as accommodating as possible, considering what he'd been through. She didn't want to make an enemy out of him; I couldn't blame her too much.

"I'll consider it," he finally answered.

Sophie sighed, satisfied enough with that.

I, on the other hand, could sense that she really wanted to make a good impression with Iris, for whatever reason, so I brought out the big guns.

With a soft voice I nudged him with my elbow. "Come on, Theo. Think how much it would mean to Mom."

I saw the flash of guilt cross his face. Granted, it was kind of messed up of me, knowing what I knew. Theo had a soft spot for guilt trips related to Mom. Since she died during childbirth, he had the notion that her death was his fault, despite the insistence from my father that it was merely an unrelated and unknown medical condition that caused it. My brother was stubborn, though, and, as my aunt and uncle said, it would be good for him to socialize a little bit.

Purely good intentions, I swear.

"Fine," he grumbled. Finishing off the last of his cereal, he pushed back the chair and put the dirty bowl in the sink, sulking back upstairs to disappear until later that night.

"Alba, you have to teach me how to do that."

 **AN: You got through the first chapter! I know it's a lot of set up and stuff, but bare with me. I hope that you all liked it. In the next chapter, we will meet a lot of the wolves and introduce all the fun characters we (I lol) know and love. Please REVIEW. Tell me if you liked it, loved it, hated it, or anything in between. Constructive criticism welcome. If I see interested readers, I will be even more motivated to continue.**

 **XOXO**


	2. no long talk

**Here's the next chapter! I know it's short. I'm working on making the chapters longer, but I really want to get the foundation laid first.**

TWO

With careful strokes, I applied one more coat of mascara to each side, stepping back from the mirror in the bathroom to inspect the final product. That was the only stitch of makeup I felt like putting on for tonight's occasion—if you could call it that—and while I criticized the bags under my eyes and the dullness of my bronze skin ( _I really could do with an exfoliation,_ I thought), I was far too lazy to go the extra mile.

Not that anyone would care, anyway.

Tying my long, honey-colored highlighted hair into a high ponytail, I smoothed the cropped cowl-neck black sweater. As I did so, I heard my name being called from downstairs. "Coming!" I yelled back, shutting off the light and descending onto the first floor where Sophie, Dominic, and Theo waited for me.

The four of us, minus Finn, made our way into the car to start the short trip to La Push.

The entire twelve minute drive encompassed forest on either side, masses of trees interspersed with high mountainous rocks. It seemed that the forest and road would go on infinitely, almost scarily so. In my head, I imagined a horror film where a bunch of kids were road tripping when their car broke down mysteriously and they got murdered by a serial killer. Not the most comforting of thoughts, but hey, I loved a good scary movie.

Clouds covered the dimming sky, and the roads were damp, indicating a passing rain. When we turned onto a road called Thorn Way, the path began opening up, revealing clusters of residential homes. About half a mile later, the GPS we used to navigate Iris's house announced our destination. We parked on the street in front of a small but cute one-story house, painted blue, the property fenced in and well-manicured. There were a couple cars parked in the driveway, one of which I noticed had a variety of stickers on the back. I guessed it was one of Iris's sons.

Sophie rang the doorbell, holding a bowl of fresh homemade guacamole, Dominic with a bottle of wine, never a couple to show up empty handed.

A gangly teenage boy opened the door, average height, sporting shoulder length black hair and a Metallica t-shirt. I glanced at my brother and noticed he eyed the shirt blankly, which probably meant he approved. Theo was good at hiding his emotions but he didn't have to say anything for me to know he would appreciate the kid's fashion choices. The boy gave one look at us and called behind his shoulder, "Mom! They're here!" Then he stepped aside to let us enter, meanwhile introducing himself as Tyler Cameron.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Dominic. This is my wife, Sophie, and my niece Alba and my nephew Theo. Your mom told us you're his age."

Tyler shrugged. "I guess. Yo, dude, you play Xbox?" When Theo nodded, Tyler waved for him to follow. "I just got the new zombie game. You gotta check it out."

I watched my brother shrug, barely sparing us a backwards glance as he followed Tyler through the house. A smile spread across my face at that. Things were looking up.

The house smelled of Italian food and that scent some houses have that make you feel like you're at home even if you've never been there before. I breathed in the smell, feeling nostalgic.

Iris appeared in a flurry seconds later, wearing the same red lipstick from this morning, her face beaming. "I'm so glad you made it!"

"Of course, and here is our way of saying thank you," smiled Sophie, extending the bowl of guacamole and wine bottle.

"You are absolute sweethearts," Iris grinned. She gestured us toward the kitchen. "Come, come, we can break open the bottle while the lasagna finishes up. Alba, you can go down into the basement if you want. That's where all the boys are, playing their little video games." At my hesitant expression, she added, "Jared's girlfriend is there, too, don't worry."

While my aunt and uncle followed Iris into the kitchen, I made my way toward the half open door where loud noises could be heard, a mixture of sound effects and indignant cries from whoever was losing. I never felt nervous when meeting new people—that whole _I'm scared they'll judge me_ didn't apply to me often. With that in mind, I went right on down the rickety wooden stairs that led to a dimly lit half-finished man cave.

I mean, that's really the only term appropriate for the roomy space. The floor was covered in the most cliché manner, with a shag rug and old furniture, including several scattered bean bag chairs, a full-screen TV propped precariously on a used end table. The Xbox console was front and center, the area around the TV littered with video game cases stacked two feet high. A lava lamp oozed orange and red, one of the only light sources in the place. The speakers were so loud that nobody noticed my entrance at first, though I was so amused by the scene in front of me that I didn't mind being the observer.

It kind of reminded me of _That '70s Show_ , except, you know, without the weed.

On the plaid sofa sat Theo and Tyler, my brother playing some zombie game, Tyler instructing him how best to kill them. Next to my brother lounged another guy with spiky dark hair, the only part of him I could see. On adjacent bean bag chairs, their hands intertwined, were who I assumed was Jared and his girlfriend. Their heads were close together and they whispered something to each other, smiling. Across from them, on the other side of the couch, was the loudest of everyone. He sat on an armchair that looked stained even in the darkness of the room, a bag of Doritos positioned in his lap. I could see that his height was too big for his seat of choice, his legs taking up most of the space in front of him. He was also the one that noticed me standing at the bottom of the stairs.

"No, don't bother to run him over you're going to fuck up the car! I thought you said you played video games kid, what are you—" The kid groaned loudly, munching chips as he talked. I was thinking how fascinating it was how much Doritos he could shove in his mouth when his attention turned straight to me. "Hey! We've got company," he observed, interest lighting his eyes.

With that, everyone in the room turned their attention to me.

I wasted no time walking forward, waving as I introduced myself. "I'm Alba."

The same guy as before turned to Theo, using his long leg to nudge my brother with his foot. "You told us you had a sister, but you never said she was hot."

I felt my cheeks warm up at the comment, thankful that the lights were dim.

Cute, but cocky. Not necessarily a good thing.

"Shut up, man," grumbled Theo. He seemed part pissed off and part embarrassed. Surprising, for someone who barely spoke to his sister on a good day.

At the same time, a pillow was whacked in the guy's direction, although his reflexes were on par enough that he missed the projectile. The assailant was Jared's girlfriend, who promptly glared in his direction.

Impressive dodge, if he hadn't been so blunt. I couldn't decide whether I admired him for being honest or annoyed by his first remark. Crossing my arms over my chest, I made my internal thoughts clear.

"You don't have to talk about me like I'm not here," I commented. I approached the group further, so that I was hovering over the three boys on the couch. "If you want to compliment me, by all means, I'm listening."

The group erupted in laughter, and even the offender wore a smirk on his face as he leaned by in his chair.

"You're a firecracker." He grinned, folding his hands behind his head. " I like that. I'm Embry."

"Don't let this douche bag be your impression of all of us," said Jared, who was confirmed as he went on. "This is Kim, my girlfriend"—Kim, a pretty girl with soft features save for her high cheekbones, smiled, tucking a strand of straight ebony hair behind her ear—"and that's Seth."

The one named Seth turned in his seat to shake my hand. His palm was shockingly warm. "Nice to meet you. This is kind of why we don't like to take Embry out in public."

"Suck my dick, Clearwater," said Embry through a mouthful of chips. "You're all just jealous of me."

I gestured to the crumbs accumulating on his lap. "I can totally see why they would be."

"She'll beat you at your own game, Call."

"I like a challenge. Isn't that right, Firecracker?" Embry winked.

I rolled my eyes. "Be careful, you might get burned."

That earned a round of snickering, but Tyler shushed everyone, claiming that they needed complete silence for the next round of storytelling from the game. He turned up the already loud TV, both he and Theo leaning forward in their seats.

Kim patted the bean bag next to her, waving me over with her hand. "You can sit here, Alba."

I took the offer and joined her and Jared, not feeling uncomfortable despite the fact that they were basically glued to each other. They seemed like the kind of couple that was sweet as opposed to cavity-inducing, if you catch my meaning. The kind of couple that exudes love, but doesn't completely make you want to avoid eye contact. It was endearing actually, the protective and natural air that I sensed from Jared.

"I promise he's not always such a pig," Kim said, by way of apologizing.

I shrugged. "S'all good. He's harmless. All bark and no bite."

Kim and Jared appreciated that. _I hit the nail on the head with that one._

"I heard that."

"You were supposed to."

The banter went back and forth until we heard Iris call the seven of us to dinner. When everyone stood up, I noticed with shock how tall Jared, Embry, and Seth truly were.

"What do they put in the water here?" I wondered aloud incredulously.

Everyone shared puzzled looks.

"You're all, like, over six feet tall."

Embry smirked slyly. "You know what they say about tall people, Alba?"

I feigned innocence. "What, that you're the first to feel when it's raining?"

We all climbed up the stairs one at a time, Seth, Jared, and Embry complaining how starving they were the entire way up. I wondered how one could eat an entire bag of Doritos and still be hungry, but that was nothing to what I was about to witness.

Iris had arranged a table covered in food. I mean, every inch had a plate or glass container of something—lasagna, spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread, sauteed vegetables. You would think that she was feeding a family of twenty instead of eleven.

As we sat down to eat, me between Sophie and Kim, I realized why there was so much damn food.

The three boys ate three times the amount I thought a normal human could consume. It was like watching a food contest live. Both Sophie and I stared in awe as they topped off plate after plate, talking through mouthfuls how hungry they were and how good the food was. The food was delicious, no question, but some of my appetite faded as I watched them.

Kim noticed my amazement and assured me, "Don't be scared. This is normal for them."

I raised my eyebrows. "Normal?"

Mid-dinner, conversation started to pick up.

"Jared, where's Jacob and Quil? I thought they were supposed to come tonight. We might even have leftovers without them." Iris laughed heartily at her own joke.

She expected _more_ people? She must be broke cooking for these kids.

Seth was the one to answer. "They had work to do last minute."

Jared and Embry nodded in unison.

"Must have been important. They rarely miss a meal when they're invited." Iris took a sip of wine, then turned her attention to Sophie and Dominic, going off on a tangent about some issue she had with the management of some local business.

"So what school are you and Theo going to?" asked Kim.

"Forks High. We start tomorrow," I replied. "Why, where do you guys go?"

"Bummer. We all go to the res school," Seth answered.

Theo frowned at that. "Damn man, there's a school over here?"

Tyler nodded. "Pretty much only Quileute natives go there. It's a small school."

"Yeah, too small if you ask me," mumbled Embry. "We don't get any new faces."

Once dinner finished, Sophie and Dominic offered to help clean up while the rest of us trailed back down in the basement. Tyler suggested we watch a movie, to which I hurriedly put in, " _Scary Movie_!" If you asked me, one of the best movies of all time. And completely underrated; I could quote most of it.

"Wait, before we start I need to use the bathroom." I stood up. "Where's the bathroom?"

"At the top of the stairs, take a left. It's the only door down that way."

I hurried up the stairs, feeling light. For the first time in a long time, I felt genuine happiness, one that comes when you are surrounded by good people. There are certain people that you can tell good things about—these were them.

When I reached the door, I stuck my hand out to open it when it flung open of its own accord. I nearly tripped backwards in surprise, a loud gasp emitting from the back of my throat; before I could fall, however, a hand instinctively reached out and grabbed me, steadying me in one swift movement so that I still hadn't processed the near disaster mentally by the time my body righted itself. The person one step above of me wore the same expression of surprise, but none of the unsteadiness.

The next few moments happened in such quick fashion that it felt as though I were dreaming.

The height on him was as intimidating as the others downstairs, enough that even at 5'6", above average, I had to look up to see his face.

"I'm sorry..." the stranger began, but abruptly cut off as we made eye contact.

Admittedly, I was the type of person who disliked eye contact. It felt so overwhelmingly intimate, and this situation proved my point. Intimate—the only word I could use to describe this. Looking up into the impossibly dark eyes in front of me, I saw confusing emotions flicker across his face. I couldn't put a finger on the butterfly inducing feelings swirling around my own stomach anymore than I could see what he was thinking, only could recognize that my palms felt suddenly sweaty, that my heartbeat picked up its pace significantly. Maybe it was the handsome boy—man—in front of me, whose defined shoulders and biceps I could see through his plain t-shirt, the kind of attractive that made me feel warmth spread across my cheeks. Maybe that, but his attractiveness didn't discount the feeling of being drawn to someone, the need that formed inside me which I could not make sense of or explain.

I broke the eye contact, feeling much too overwhelmed.

"Um, I—I..." I stuttered, not sure what I should say. _Excuse me, I don't know who the hell you are or what just happened, but I need to pee?_

The stranger, who I had to assume was one of the boys' friends, had an unreadable face. He opened his mouth, closed it. I saw his fists clench together. He backed away one step, then another. With one last glance at me, he turned and disappeared.

 **AN: There it is! I wanted to sneak in that certain someone at the end to at least get him in there. Please let me know how you are liking the characters so far. Even if there's something you don't like, LET ME KNOW! That way I can improve and give you guys a better story.**

 **Also, leave a review and tell me who your favorite is so far and why.**

 **XOXO**


	3. exchange

**Another update. Trying to keep the ball rolling. I have more free time than usual lately, even with work. Enjoy chapter THREE :)**

THREE

"Was that Jacob?"

I emerged in the basement without having gone to the bathroom, feeling out of body. It took me a second to process what Jared just said.

"Um—I don't know...I guess? He didn't say his name," I answered, taking my seat next to Seth on the couch.

Embry rolled his eyes. "He was supposed to hang with us tonight. Probably got a call from his beloved Bella."

Honestly, I could tell you in three words why I cared enough to ask: I was nosy.

"Is that his girlfriend?"

Embry, Jared, and Seth all started cracking up at what felt like an inside joke.

Kim hushed them all. "Stop, guys, it's not funny! What if Jacob heard you laughing at him like that?"

"If he cared, I'd tell him to stop being a pussy," laughed Embry.

I interrupted them, leaning forward so that my elbows rested on my knees. "Can someone fill me in?"

"Jacob fell in love with this girl from Forks, Bella obviously," began Jared, the most tactful of the the group. "After she got dumped by her boyfriend, she started spending a lot of time with Jake. Kind of led him on, I guess—"

"Ha! You guess, my ass," murmured Embry.

Jared rolled his eyes. "Anyway, she basically used him. Her boyfriend came back in the picture and she went right back to him. Like that." He snapped his fingers for effect. "Jake was devastated. I mean, completely heartbroken, dude. It was sad."

"And all we heard for MONTHS was Bella this, Bella that." Embry made an exaggerated face. "It got fucking annoying, man. I don't know why he still hangs out with that—"

"I think I get the point," I interjected. I pondered this new information for a minute. "So, I take it we're not a fan of the boyfriend? Why?"

The four of them all exchanged knowing looks with one another. From this one evening of hanging out with them, I could tell they had history that went back years, that sort of tight-knit closeness that made you feel instantly left out even if that wasn't their intention. My brother and Tyler were oblivious to the conversation, as they were having their own slightly heated discussion about video games.

Finally, Seth spoke. "He's part of this family. They're kind of notorious in Forks—rich, the dad's a doctor at the local hospital, all supermodel gorgeous—"

Embry cut him off. He did that frequently. "Edward Cullen—that's his name—is a royal prick. He's a manipulator. Plus, his whole family is adopted and their parents are, like, the same age as them. It's weird. You'll see them at school and you'll know exactly what I'm talking about."

Their details amused me, though I wondered how much of it was pure fact. I wouldn't blame them for exaggerating, considering how the situation affected one of their close friends. In fact, I felt almost eager to start school so I could get a look at them myself.

That is what I thought of later that night, a few hours after leaving Iris's house. To be fair, there were dozens of thoughts running rampant around my brain, making it difficult to sleep. I had to be up in six hours, yet I lie awake with my eyes open wide, playing and replaying the events and conversations I'd had, including the promise from Kim that she would call me to hang out soon. Even though I'd grown up in Oregon, had built my entire life there, I never felt like I fit in quite so well as with Kim, Jared, Embry, and Seth. Of course, I missed my friends there, ones I grew up with, but things never had been the same once my father got diagnosed with cancer. Amazing how people could drift from you when they couldn't understand the pain you felt. One of my supposed "best friends" didn't even have the decency to show up for Dad's funeral...

Despite how utterly chaotic the dynamic between this new group of people—they constantly bickered like siblings, ate way too much food, and never stopped talking—it made me smile long after I'd gone home.

The worst, or maybe best, part of it all was Jacob. I couldn't stop thinking about what happened, as short and confusing as it was. The one million and one questions begging to be answered, ones that may very well go unanswered, made my head spin. Why did he leave so suddenly? Why did he look at me like I insulted him? Why did I find myself thinking about how cute he was? Why should a stranger make me care so much about what he did?

I found myself turning restlessly until, at some point unknown, I finally drifted off into sleep.

Comfort was the key to my style, especially when I had to be up at the ass crack of dawn for school. By the time I showered and completed my daily morning routine, I was ready to go back to sleep. However, unless I wanted to fail my junior year, I couldn't do that. Instead I dressed in a pair of high waist jeans, a mustard yellow cropped sweatshirt (if my personality was dulled by sleepiness, at least my outfit would shine bright), and a pair of white sneakers. I opted for minimal makeup as per usual, some mascara and lip tint, and then headed downstairs to eat breakfast.

Sophie dropped Theo and I off at the high school on her way to work. The front of the school was empty save for the kids arriving to school, and even those outside didn't linger long due to the drizzling rain falling from the dark gray skies. My brother and I hurried into the Main Office building after saying goodbye to our aunt.

Immediately I could tell Theo and I would stick out like sore thumbs, our naturally bronze skin acting as spotlights compared to everyone else's pale complexions. That, and the fact that this school was small enough that I almost guaranteed didn't get new students often.

I ignored the expected stares and whispering, leading my brother into the glass-walled office where we were supposed to get our schedules. An older woman with bobbed graying blonde hair and a pair of reading glasses perched on her pointed nose looked up at us from her stack of file folders with a wide, too bright smile.

"Well, hello there!" she chirped. _Damn lady, do you know what time it is?_ "You must be Sophie Hayes's niece and nephew, huh?"

Sophie knew a lot of administration in the district, considering her position as a teacher. I nodded in confirmation. "Yep, that's us. I'm Alba, and this is my younger brother Theo." The latter curtly nodded once in greeting.

The woman, whose desk had a plaque that read DENISE OWENS, rolled back in her chair to the filing cabinet behind her, ruffling through the middle drawer for thirty seconds or so before she retrieved two manila envelopes. Denise reached inside each of them and extracted two white sheets of paper, handing them to the two of us. "Here are your schedules. Each teacher you meet today must sign this paper by the end of the day. Then you'll bring it back to me before you leave, alright? At the top you'll see your locker number and combination, which is typically located outside of your first period classroom."

With that, we thanked her and left the office, Denise wishing us a great day behind us in that sugary sweet voice of hers. I stopped to examine my classes, noting that Creative Writing would be my first period of the day.

"Good luck, bro," I said to Theo, who had a sulky expression on his face. Worse than his usual one, anyway.

"Yeah, thanks," Theo grumbled. He started off up the staircase to the right, getting lost in the crowd of students making their way upstairs.

I sighed quietly, taking a look at the room number before heading off in what I hoped was the right direction. When I found my appropriate locker, I quickly put in the combination and took out what I would need: two notebooks and a pen. I shut the locker, trying not to get too irritated when I heard a passing trio of girls that wondered, too loudly, "We have a _new_ girl?"

Mrs. Lowe's Creative Writing class encompassed about fifteen students including myself. After signing off on the schedule, she made me introduce myself to the class, including my name, where I moved from, and what my favorite subject was. Luckily she didn't complain when I revealed that Art took the cake for me.

I sat down on the far right near the front, since that was the only open seat. Mrs. Lowe instructed the class that today's assignment would be a free write, where we would have the whole class to write whatever we wanted on the topic on the board. Today's topic would be: _Write a story based on romance that may happen far into the future._

A creative twist to a cliché topic, I thought. I opened up my notebook and began my passage.

Whenever I thought about love, I imagined the words my father used to describe my mother. He talked about her as if no other woman existed, as if she was a goddess who he worshiped. Sometimes it made me sad that he never could quite move on from her, not seriously; sometimes, however, it made me long for that myself. I was young—seventeen—but I never had a boyfriend before. I wondered if I would find someone who would love me with such unending passion as Dad loved Mom. I wondered even more now that both of them were gone.

When the bell rang, signaling the end of class, I handed in my assignment, a story about a heroine goddess who falls in love with a mere mortal.

In Trigonometry, I wanted to cry. Math was not my subject and I found it unbearably boring. I sat next to a pretty girl, with straight dirty blonde hair and striking blue eyes. She paid no attention to the front of the class as she tried to hide her phone underneath her desk. Mr. Thorton, the teacher, instructed us to turn to page 160 in our textbooks for the next lesson. As I opened my notebook and textbook, my pen poised above a fresh page to take notes, Mr. Thorton called my name.

"Miss Hayes, is that a pen?"

Half of the class started giggling under their breath.

I took a deep breath. "Yes," I replied, as even-toned as possible.

"We don't use pens in this classroom. Too hard to erase mistakes. I'm afraid unless you have a pencil, I'll have to send you to—"

"She can use one of mine," offered the girl beside me. She produced a pencil out of her pocket, which she imediately handed to me.

I took it with a grateful smile. She nodded her head back in response; she obviously understood his strictness.

"Very well," Mr. Thorton said sourly. He turned his back, clearly disappointed at the lack of available punishment, and began teaching the lesson.

Post class, everyone began packing up their belongings, groaning at the thirty problems Mr. Thorton assigned as homework. I realized I still had my seat neighbor's pencil and quickened my steps to catch her before she got too far.

"Wait, here's your pencil," I reminded her, the two of us just outside the classroom. The halls were busy with students rushing to their next class.

She grinned. "You didn't have to give it back to me. It's just a pencil."

I felt kind of stupid now. Tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, I replied, "Well, I'm more of a pen girl anyway. So, here." She finally took the pencil, still smiling as she put it away in her bag.

"Don't tell that to Mr. Thorton. He's sent three kids to the principal's office for not having pencils the last three weeks. He even gave my friend Dylan a F on a test because her pencil wasn't sharpened." The girl rolled her eyes, glancing with hatred toward the math teacher's classroom. "You're new here," she added after a moment. "What's your name?"

"Alba."

"I'm Lily," the blonde girl introduced herself. "What other classes do you have today?"

I let her have my schedule and Lily glanced over it quickly, pointing out the classes we shared.

"Lunch and AP Biology. Meet me at the cafeteria after fourth period and you can sit with me and my friends."

I smiled with relief. Making a friend here would make my life that much easier. Plus, Lily seemed friendly enough. You could never tell with teenage girls. "Okay, thanks. I'll see you after fourth."

History, though a favorite subject of mine, consisted of nothing particularly noteworthy. The subject of discussion in class included geography, one of my least favorite topics. After fourth period ended (Psych), I navigated my way through the hallways toward the cafeteria, only making one wrong turn until I arrived at the wide double doors propped open to allow the stream of students in and out.

Lily stood with another girl, who sported a brunette bob that actually suited her face, thick eyebrows darker than her hair color, and freckles scattered across her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. Perhaps the most eye catching thing about her was the stack of gold charm bracelets that jingled whenever she moved her arms. She sounded like a reindeer.

"Hey Lily," I said by way of greeting.

"Alba, this is Alex." Lily gestured toward the brunette.

"It's so nice to meet you." Alex's voice was raspier than I expected; certainly not the voice expected when you looked at her.

I smiled genuinely. "You too."

"Let's go get our food before someone takes our table."

The three of us made our way through the cafeteria line. I got a chicken sandwich and some fruit, waiting for Lily and Alex after paying. I followed them to one of the tables by the windows, a round table where four other people sat, three guys and one other girl. When we sat down, after announcing myself, more introductions were made, courtesy of Lily.

"There's Dylan"—a red-haired kid who wore a backwards hat and nodded in response to his name—"Andrew"—he wore too much hair gel for my taste and played for the school's soccer team—"and Shane and Melanie. They've been dating since, like, eighth grade." The couple mentioned were well-matched; Melanie wore her boyfriend's soccer jersey number.

The table fell into conversation while everyone ate their lunch. Andrew and Dylan started a heated debate on the _Star Wars_ prequels—and which was best. I, a movie buff, couldn't help but interject myself into the discussion.

"Those movies sucked. Anakin and Padme had no chemistry together. It was like watching a brother and sister fall in love." I wrinkled my nose in distaste.

The two boys appeared offended by my comment.

"Finally someone around here who doesn't suck _Star Wars_ dick," laughed Alex.

"You're only focusing on the love story part," defended Andrew.

"There are other flaws, that one just bothers me the most."

"Care to explain?" Dylan asked.

I shrugged, popping a grape in my mouth. "Well, since you're—" I was going to answer, but then a group of students caught my eye. I'd been looking for them in the halls all day with no such luck. But in the corner of the cafeteria, I spotted someone who I thought fit the description of Embry and Seth. Well, the description could be considered vague, but the ballet-dancer lithe girl who practically danced to her seat, her hair spiky and dark, her skin so pale she could be a porcelain doll could definitely succeed as a supermodel. When she smiled to her friends, her teeth were pearly white and she was one of those people whose beauty caught you off guard.

Everyone turned to see what distracted me from answering.

"Alice Cullen," Lily said. "She's gorgeous, isn't she?" Lily nodded her head toward a boy with copper hair and an expensive looking collared shirt, his back turned to us, and a girl with long, mousy brown hair whose hood peeked out from underneath her hair. "That's her brother Edward, and his girlfriend Bella. They're kind of well-known around here."

So these were the infamous Bella and Edward. For some reason, the hype that the boys created the night previous did not hold up as I stared at the backs of their heads. Not that I expected them to be wearing devil's horns or anything. Actually, I wasn't sure exactly what I thought would happen. I suppose the absolute disgust with which Jared, Embry, and Seth spoke of these people had interested me more than normal.

Nothing more was said of them, and I instead enlightened the table with why I wasn't much of a fan of the _Stars Wars_ prequels.

Art was my final period, the elective I was most looking forward to. Mr. Cooper, an older man with gray hair and wire-rimmed glasses, pointed me in the direction of an empty desk and a new canvas paper pad. Today we would have a quick lesson on Impressionist art, then start to map out our next assignment based on what we learned.

Despite enjoying the day's lesson, I felt a certain happiness when we were released from school for the day. I gathered up my books and headed to my locker, looking at my phone to see a text message from Sophie that Dominic would pick us up after school. I put away the notebooks I didn't need for homework, packed up what I did need, and then began walking toward the front entrance to be picked up.

Once outside, I noticed that the rain stopped. I didn't see Dominic's car just yet. While I waited I texted Theo to see where he was. When I looked up, the most surprising face made eye contact.

Jacob, even more intimidating in broad daylight, took long strides to the bench where I sat. Practically everybody in the vicinity stared as he walked past, whether that be due to his over six foot height or the fact that he wore shorts and t-shirt on such a cool day. His expression softened the nearer he got to me. I felt my cell phone buzz in my pocket, but I promptly ignored it as, in no time at all, Jacob stood in front of me.

"You're Alba." The way he said it came out as a statement rather than a question.

I cleared my throat, still more than shocked at his arrival. "Yeah...that's me. You're Jacob?"

Jacob nodded, the corners of his lips turning up when I spoke. He ran a hand through his dampened inky black hair, making it stick out wildly. "Listen, I stopped by to see my friend, and then I saw you. I mean, I was hoping to see you anyway. I want to apologize for last night, if it seemed like you pissed me off or something..."

"You don't owe me an apology," I blurted out quickly. That came out a bit rude, so I amended, "I mean—you didn't do anything wrong. You don't have to say sorry." I subconsciously played with the hem of my sweatshirt.

Sheepish, Jacob stuck out his hand. "I am sorry. And I wanted to make your formal acquaintance. The guys said you and your brother are really cool."

"They're almost too over the top, but they're fun to be around." I reached my hand out to meet his. Our skin touched; my stomach did a few somersaults. His hand, which engulfed mine, was shockingly warm, and we shook for longer than might be necessary. Not that I complained or anything. His eyes—so dark they appeared almost black—met mine, but unlike usual, I didn't feel the urge to instantly look away. Finally, my hand dropped to my side, the coolness of the air reminding me of the lack of contact. "It's nice to meet you, Jacob."

"You, too, Alba." Jacob wore a grin from ear to ear, one so contagious that I couldn't help smiling, too. "By the way," he continued, "the guys and Kim and a few others and I were thinking of going to First Beach tomorrow after school. It's supposed to be a nice day. Those are rare around here. Maybe you and your brother could come?"

"Sure." I didn't even hesitate, as much as it surprised me. It was one thing to talk to me on an off chance of seeing me, but another to invite me to hang out. _Not that it means anything,_ I thought silently. _No need to get yourself ahead of anything, Alba._

"Cool. I'll text you with the details. I'll see you around?" Without waiting for me to say anything, he turned and headed off around the corner. I heard the sound of a motorcycle coming to life.

It didn't occur to me until hours later how Jacob would text me without having my number.

 **AN: Did we like it? Drop a review for any comments, questions, concerns, and notes you may have for me. Thank you for reading.**

 **XOXO**


	4. beach side

**OOPS! My biggest apologies for the wait on this chapter. I was going through some personal stuff and couldn't figure out what I wanted to do with this chapter. I wrote and rewrote this a thousand times... It's way too short and I'm not completely satisfied with it. Nevertheless I wanted to get it up for you guys. In the future, my hope is to upload one chapter per week. Enjoy :)**

 **FOUR**

The mystery was solved almost a day later. During lunch I received a text from an unknown number. Glancing over the message discreetly, an involuntary smile turned the corners of my lips.

 **UNKNOWN:** Hey it's Jacob. Kim gave me ur #. We'll pick u up after school. Send me ur address :)

"Who's that?" Lily. She saw my facial expression at once, not one to be oblivious.

Alex leaned forward on the table with her elbows,chin propped up in her hands. "Do you have a boyfriend back home we don't know about?" she asked slyly.

I rolled my eyes, head shaking no at once, thumbs hovered over the keys of my phone. "It's nobody. Just some kid I know from La Push. He's the friend of a family friend."

The two girls decided not to push, luckily. I could tell that if we were closer friends they would have squeezed any information out of me possible. Not that I had anything to hide or even talk about.

I hurriedly sent Jacob my address and tucked the cell phone away in my pocket.

Theo informed me that he was also invited to that afternoon's beach trip. He seemed kind of pissed that I would be going too, but didn't say much beyond what was necessary. Even when mad he stayed mostly silent. Sophie picked us up from school and dropped us off, only to retreat to the mini-office attached to the living room downstairs to grade assignments. I informed her of our plans, to which she told us to let her know whenever we would be coming home (no later than ten since it was only Tuesday, a generous curfew in my opinion).

I changed into a bikini—that being my only swimwear option—just in case, even though the weather wasn't exactly warm. I put on an oversize sweater and a pair of comfortable striped leggings, slipping on a pair of slides.

A text informed me that Jacob was waiting outside.

I called a goodbye to Sophie and headed out to the front of the house. There were two unfamiliar cars parked in front of the driveway: a small, black Volkswagen and a pick-up truck in dire need of a good wash. As I emerged from the front door, my brother was climbing into the truck, where I saw Tyler, Jared, and Kim. Kim stuck her head out from the passenger's side window, waving toward me.

"Hey Alba! Hope you don't mind riding in the Rabbit," she called to me, waving in the direction of the shiny VW.

On cue, Jacob's massive self extracted himself from the second car. I raised my eyebrows in near disbelief as I walked toward the vehicle; if I hadn't just watched him come out of the car, I might not believe he could fit in there. At 5'4, it looked small for me.

"You ready to go?" Jacob asked, leaning his wide forearms on the roof of the car.

"This is your car?" I wondered, ignoring his question.

"My pride and joy," he stated proudly, patting the exterior with affection. "I built her up from scratch."

"And you didn't choose a bigger car?"

Jacob laughed. "Hey, it's a privilege to ride in this car."

Jared honked the horn behind us, signaling that he was going to start leaving. The two of us entered the car together. Despite his height and size, Jacob seemed to fit comfortably in his pride and joy. Kings of Leon played softly from the radio, and a dreamcatcher hung from the rear view mirror.

As he put the car in drive and followed the truck down the road, I suddenly felt nervous. My hands tried to keep busy by tying my hair into a ponytail, but that only lasted a minute or so. Luckily, I didn't have to fidget for long.

"What's your favorite color?"

The inquiry caught me off guard. I glanced at Jacob, my response quick. "Green."

"Why?"

"Most of the earth is covered in greens. Trees, grass, leaves, flowers. It's the most natural color in the world. There are so many different shades of it. Plus, green looks good on me. Oh, and my eyes are hazel."

He seemed highly amused by my answer. I assumed he didn't think my reasoning would have so much detail or thought into it, but details were everything.

"What's your favorite color?" I countered.

"Green," he answered.

"What? No it's not, that's cheating," I protested, crossing my arms over my chest.

Jacob grinned, his eyes focused on the road but still sparkling with amusement. "It's not cheating. Simple: I didn't have a favorite color before, but you made green sound awesome, so now green is my favorite color."

I rolled my eyes. "Fine. What's your favorite movie?"

"Easy. _The Matrix_."

"Not a fan," I admitted.

He seemed personally affronted by this. " _How?_ It's one of the greatest movies of all time! Samuel L. Jackson? Red pill vs. blue pill? Alternative reality?"

I shook my head. "Boring."

"Boring," he muttered in disbelief, eyes wide.

Ahead of us, Jared turned the truck into a parking lot nearly empty save for two other cars. In front of us, the magnificent view of the ocean laid out before us, the beach dotted with rock formations and driftwood. Considering the usual gloomy weather, the minimal sun that peeked out from beneath passing clouds gave the environment a fresh, crisp air. It definitely wasn't your typical beach outing, but I yearned to feel the sand beneath my toes and smell the salty sea that reminded me of family beach trips to Ventura, California to visit my grandma as a child, the days spent building sand castles and diving beneath the deep, intimidating waters. Dad even tried to teach me how to surf at one point.

Jacob led the way toward the sand, and I felt transported to a different time, despite the change of scenery—after all, First Beach was nothing like Ventura. Yes, there was the rhythmic crash of surf against sand, the waves lapping at the edge, the smell of salt and earth, but the circumstances had changed. The warm, blinding sun, sandcastles, and surfers had been replaced with mountainous rocks, damp driftwood, and rough waves. Nostalgia washed over me, powerful, sending the hairs on my arms standing up; the cool breeze sent a shiver up my spine. Theo and I exchanged a brief glance, leaving me wondering if we were thinking about the same thing.

"You okay?"

I lifted my head to meet Jacob's eyes. It surprised me how perceptive and observational he was, considering most people probably wouldn't have noticed the slight shift in my mood. Perhaps my emotions were more transparent than I thought, but I felt more inclined to believe that Jacob simply saw more than surface level, for whatever reason that might be.

I smiled and nodded to reassure him as we walked over to meet the rest of the group: Seth and Embry I recognized, while there were quite a few new faces I did not. However, I was quickly introduced to them.

A beautiful girl with scars marring half her face approached me first, barely waiting for anyone to do the job for her. Despite the scarring, her bright brown eyes framed by dark lashes and inviting smile completely deterred me from taking more than a second look at her imperfections.

"You must be Alba. I'm Emily Young," she revealed, pulling me in for a hug before I could say or do anything. She smelled of vanilla and cookies, and let go of me after a few seconds. "It's so good to meet you. You're absolutely beautiful."

The compliment and immediate affection took me a second to process. "Thank you," I said after a beat. "You're very sweet, Emily. It's nice to meet you, too."

"I'm just so glad another girl is around. Me and Kim get outnumbered pretty often," Emily explained.

"Don't forget Leah," piped up Seth.

"Yeah, if you can even call her a girl," mumbled Embry.

Seth whacked him on the head, while Emily sent him an eye roll and a reproachful look.

"Ignore him."

I snickered. "You aren't the first person to give me that advice."

Emily went on to point out the rest of the new faces: Sam, her fiance, Quil, and Paul, with the only exception being Leah Clearwater, Seth's older sister, who was currently MIA. The latter two in question had wetsuits on and surfboards at their sides, which they waxed.

"You guys surf in these waters?" I asked, noticing how choppy the surf was, and imagined how cold the water would be. The temperature today was barely mid-fifties.

Seth responded with an affirmative yes, and that's when I saw both Jared and Jacob changing into wet suits as well. All around me, these muscled teenagers were clad in skintight outfits and I felt only slightly uncomfortable. More impressed than anything, really. It got me questioning if they put steroids in the water here.

"Do you know how to surf?" Jacob wanted to know.

I shrugged. "Kind of. My dad tried to teach me and Theo when we were younger. I can balance for a solid ten seconds, and that's on calm waters."

"I'll teach you," Jacob suggested.

"In front of these guys? No thank you. I'll save myself the embarrassment."

"Good call, I probably would have pushed you over just for shits and giggles," Embry remarked.

Emily put her arm around my shoulder. "That's okay, Jake, Alba can hang with me and Kim while you boys do your thing. I'm sure we'll have lots to talk about."

She led me over to a colorful, expansive quilt where Kim rested on her elbows, her legs sprawled out in front of her. The pair of us took a seat beside one another, watching everyone, including Theo, who had been coaxed by the others, enter the water.

Emily, Kim, and I watched the boys surf and tumble for a solid hour. When I say "boys" I mostly watched Jacob. It was impressive how graceful and balanced he could be for someone such a massive size, and everything he did, he made it look effortless. And as he swam to the shore, shaking the excess water off him, I watched him walk toward me with that same sense of ease about his body; it made me feel some type of way I couldn't put words to.

Jacob suggested we go for a walk, just the two of us, and I agreed. I let him change into drier clothes, trying not to stare at his rippled back muscles as he removed the wet suit. Once he changed into a pair of basketball shorts and a plain t-shirt, he led me to the right of the group, toward a more secluded area where we dodged varying sizes of driftwood and rocks. At first, a comfortable silence engulfed us. I marveled at the fact that I barely knew this person, yet none of that awkward energy existed between us.

"My brother seems to get on well with you guys," I remarked after some time. "And I mean he actually talks to you. I don't remember the last time I had a conversation with him."

Jacob, walking with his hands in his pockets, said, "He's a nice kid. I can tell he's been through a lot."

I nodded. "He's very sensitive. He puts a lot of blame on himself."

"What do you mean?"

Some people might be hesitant to share personal information. I, on the other hand, had the tendency to overshare; you might call me an open book. So I told Jacob our history, how Theo felt ashamed for our mother's death and struggled to come to terms with Dad. I even added my two cents about his battle to fit in, which I blamed for most of his inner turmoil.

Unlike your average stranger, who might retreat from such personal details, Jacob listened with genuine interest. We had paused to sit one in front of the other on a drier log, me with my legs crossed and Jacob's own long limbs straddling the driftwood. As was custom when I went off on long tangents, I realized how long I'd been rambling after a while and felt my cheeks warm with self-awareness.

"I'm sorry. I'm talking way too much." I bit my lip, looking down at my lap.

"I like listening to you," Jacob replied simply.

I looked up at Jacob with curious eyes. Most of the time when talking with guys, I felt suspicious of their intentions, like everything they said had double meaning. I never knew what they really wanted or thought or meant. Except with Jacob, one look at his eyes gave me a sense of security, as though they told me silently that they were honest and sincere. He never averted his gaze when we met eyes, and he didn't seem impatient despite how much I talked.

All of these thoughts overwhelmed me, especially since I had known Jacob for all of one or two days. I remembered reading books and watching TV and movies where the characters describe a powerful connection between two people, an inexplicable one that rarely made any sense. It partially annoyed me that I compared myself and Jacob to fictional experiences, considering he could be thinking the exact opposite. Besides, there was nothing otherworldly about us.

To shift my thoughts away from this subject, I veered the conversation to another subject that crossed my mind since moving here.

"It's weird being in La Push, considering my mom grew up here. I don't know anything about it. I'm half Quileute, but I don't even know what that means."

"You're lucky then, because I've had everything Quileute drilled into my brain since I was born," Jacob said, half-jokingly.

"You can be my source of knowledge," I teased.

"Personal encyclopedia, at your service."

We both laughed at that.

Jacob shifted slightly in his seat. "Old Quil—that's Quil's grandfather—he's the source of all the legends around here. Every once in a while all of us get together on the beach and he tells the stories of our people. It'll be Seth's first time, and Leah's, too. You should come with me."

The idea of hearing the stories of my heritage—ones maybe my mom grew up with—intrigued me. Most of all, the idea of going with Jacob made me warm inside.

"I'd love to."

I thought about the invitation throughout the rest of the day and into the evening, as Jacob and I rejoined the group. We played soccer on the beach, me, Jacob, Seth, and Quil versus Embry, Paul, Sam, and Jared. We won 4-2. Not to burst my own bubble, but I had to say that my goalkeeping skills won us the game. Besides, Embry was way too much of a shit talker for his own good, and it distracted him from actually blocking any of the goals that Jacob and Seth made. Not to say that I didn't laugh my ass off while he did it, but still. He was a sore loser, which only made me become a sore winner, rubbing our team's victory in their faces.

By the time sunset approached, Theo and I decided to head home. Jacob offered to drive me again, while Theo went in the truck. We listened to Kings of Leon again, singing along for the short ride. In front of my house, Jacob put the VW in park.

"Thanks for the ride," I said, unbuckling my seatbelt.

"Anytime," Jacob smiled. "I'll text you."

I went inside, face beaming.

After dinner, I began working on my homework in my room. I situated myself on the little window seat, Trig textbook splayed out in front of me. I was working through the homework problems assigned to us. The window, cracked open to let some of the cool night air inside, suddenly let a wind gust through, causing me to shiver, even through the sweatshirt I wore. I set down my pencil and notebook, turning so that I could work the window shut, when I heard the faint sound of a howl. Weird. Were there wolves in Forks?

The moment quickly passed and was forgotten, however, as I put in headphones and finished the rest of my homework.

 **AN: Please let me guys know what you think about this chapter. Do you like Alba's character? If not, what improvements can I make? I hope you like this little taste of Alba and Jake's relationship. Once everything is laid out things will get juicier. Leave questions/comments/concerns in a review!**

 **XOXO**


	5. nothings into somethings

**FIVE**

As the weeks passed, March made room for April, bringing milder temperatures and more rain than before—if that was possible. My life became a balancing game, spending half of my time in Forks and the other half in La Push. Even Sophie noticed both me and my brother's increased absence, often making comments about where our home actually was. And while Jacob presented himself as a new, prominent figure in my life, we were always surrounded by the others, usually at Emily's house, where Kim and Emily stole me away from the boys. Jacob became a fast friend, who texted me good morning and checked up on me regularly. It crossed my mind once or twice that maybe his intentions were more than friendly, but each time I saw him face to face, he gave me nothing to base those thoughts on.

Not that I could—or wanted to—complain. Jacob was attractive, don't get me wrong, but... Well, not that he had any negatives about him, but still. I wasn't going to pine after someone with no mutual interest in me. Not that I had a crush on him. He made me laugh and his smile was super sexy and Jacob seemed to genuinely care about me, but—

Never mind.

Theo appeared to be going through his own self-transformation. He spent more time at Tyler's house than at home, and the only times I saw him were when we went to school together in the morning. Despite that I was glad he had new friends, he'd become even quieter, distant, and brooding than before we moved here. In fact, it was a point of conversation I planned on asking Jacob about the next time I saw him. I knew that their circles mixed, that Theo was hanging out with the other boys as well as Jared's little brother.

Even Sophie and Dominic noticed the changes, and made it known to me one early Thursday morning at breakfast.

"He's barely said three words to me all week," worried Sophie, her voice hushed. Theo was upstairs, getting ready for school.

I swallowed a spoonful of cereal before responding. "I don't know what's going on. But the guys are cool, trust me. They're good for him. I think he's just going through puberty or something."

"Yeah, I think he grew a few inches. Did you guys notice?" Dominic said by way of joining in the conversation, pouring himself a cup of freshly made coffee. The strong aroma of caffeine hung in the kitchen.

"He's fifteen, it's normal."

Sophie continued to look worried. I may be young, but I could imagine how much pressure she felt to do right by Theo, to do right by her brother.

Before I could assure her any further, Theo descended from the stairs, his backpack slung over his shoulder. Now that Dominic mentioned it, it did look like he'd grown a few inches, plus put on some weight, in a lean way. He was transforming from a small, lanky teenager to someone more grown up.

Without saying anything at all, Theo poured himself a bowl of cereal, devouring the contents as Dominic and Sophie talked about their plans for Easter. Spring Break began tomorrow, in which we would have five days off for the holiday. I was looking forward to getting today over with.

As usual, we were dropped off in front of the school. Theo and I walked side by side, navigating our way through the crowded sidewalk, when I saw a familiar shin y car parked on the curb in front of the main entrance. Then—how could you miss him?-Jacob's six foot frame towered over the other students. I began to smile, picking up my pace, until an unwarranted twinge of jealousy washed over me.

Jacob stood talking rather intimately with Bella Swan. Their relationship confused me, but it was none of my business. I still couldn't help thinking about the first time Embry and the others told me how much he loved her. I felt annoyed at myself that seeing them together bothered me so much. As if he could read my thoughts, I noticed Jacob's eyes found mine mid-conversation. I hurriedly looked away, uncomfortable with whatever feelings I had inside me.

I took a deep breath, exhaled, and steeled my eyes away from the two of them, focusing on the front doors swarming with students getting ready for first period. Briefly turning my head to see where Theo was, I watched as some random kid accidentally bumped into my brother, knocking over his iPod that he carried. That was when all hell broke loose.

Theo collapsed on the ground on his hands and knees. His breathing seemed labored, his whole body shook with force, and his head hung low so that I couldn't see his face.

"Theo!" I screeched, dropping down on the ground next to him, reaching out to touch his shoulder. "What happened? What's wrong?"

My brother snapped his head up. His eyes were manic. Pupils dilated. Teeth gritted. "Don't touch me!"

I recoiled from him, shocked into speechlessness.

"Theo, we have to get out of here, now." Jacob.

I rose to my feet as he practically picked my brother up, supporting his weight. I was confused as all hell. Kids had formed a circle around us, all of them talking, some looking concerned, others simply curious and nosy. I heard someone say we should call a doctor, or get a teacher.

"What's going on? Where are you taking him?" I demanded, following Jacob's quick steps toward his VW.

"Somewhere safe," was all he said. Opening the car door, he secured my brother's shaking frame in the passenger's seat, shutting the door briskly. I thought he would simply leave then, but he turned to face me, holding my shoulders in place. "Alba, he's going to be fine. You don't have to worry. I'll take care of him."

"He needs to go to a doctor!" I exclaimed, my eyes wild and my hands flailing as I spoke. " There's something wrong with him. I have to call Sophie and—"

Jacob cut me off. "No. Old Quil, remember him? He's a doctor. He'll know exactly what to do. We'll get a hold of your aunt, don't worry. Just go to class. I don't have time to explain now."

He made to leave, but I grabbed his wrist at the last minute, unsatisfied with his order. "No—I want to go with him. I don't want to go to class."

He locked eyes with me, and I felt a sense of calm fade over me. My breathing steadied slightly and I felt less jittery.

"I promise, we'll take care of him. But I have to go _now_."

With that, he got in the driver's side and sped off, leaving me behind.

The cracked iPod lay forgotten on the ground.

School felt more torturous than usual that day. Between classes, I texted Jacob inquiring updates on my brother, but received no answer. I thought about contacting Sophie, although I trusted Jacob to handle that part. No reason worrying her for nothing.

I barely paid attention during class, too anxious to get out of school so I could figure out what the hell was going on. My school friends, Lily and Alex, finally worked up the courage to ask me what happened during lunch.

"He wasn't feeling good," I lied—well, maybe not a lie. I had no way of knowing. "A friend is taking care of him. It's no big deal." I forced as sincere a smile as possible for effect.

The two girls appeared satisfied with that answer. While I spent any free time at school with them, we hadn't gotten that close outside of this environment. They'd invited me to hang out on more than one occasion, but I always had previous plans on the reservation. I liked them a lot, and I wondered if having friends outside of La Push was such a bad thing. So when Lily asked if I wanted to go see a movie with them later that night, I only hesitated for a second.

"Please! It'll be so fun," pleaded Alex. "You never hang out with us outside of school. We'll pick you up and everything. Plus, James Franco is in the movie and he's fine as fuck."

I almost spit the sip of iced tea I'd just taken out of my mouth at that. I needed reassurance that my brother was safe and sound, but I figured if everything was fine, I would have no problem going. My agreement to go caused Lily and Alex to beam for the rest of lunch.

Throughout the remainder of the school day, I constantly checked my phone to see if I'd gotten a text. Nothing. The more time went by, the more pissed I got. Why couldn't he answer? Then, that worried me. What if something really bad happened? That only came full circle, because I would get annoyed that Jacob hadn't updated me period.

On my way to the parking lot where Sophie would be waiting to pick me up, I wondered if she knew about Theo. I figured I would have to tell her the truth if Jacob had not.

Before I reached the doors to freedom, I heard my name being called. I stopped, turned, watching with curiosity and surprise as one Bella Swan caught up to me.

"Sorry to bother you," she apologized breathlessly, pushing a lock of her plain brown hair behind her ear. "I'm Bella. I know you're...friends with Jake."

Her hesitation on "friends" puzzled me, but I nodded my head anyway. "Yeah. What's up?"

"I saw what happened this morning. I just wanted to say, your brother is in good hands with Jake. He's a good guy. The best guy, actually... He'll make you happy," Bella concluded, bowing her head as if embarrassed at her words. "Anyway, I have to get going. See you around." And she hurried off outside toward her modelesque boyfriend.

I couldn't come up with a conclusion as to why Bella approached me in the first place. Not to mention, why she felt it necessary to say any of those things about Jacob. _He'll make you happy_ bounced around in my head as I walked along the sidewalk toward my aunt's car. She made it sound as if we were married or something. However, I pushed that particular thought away for the time being, as more important things must be handled.

I gauged Sophie's expression right away when I opened the passenger door and sat down. She was humming along to the radio (Jackson 5's "I Want You Back"), nodding her head.

She definitely didn't know. Damn Jacob. I hoped that meant whatever Theo went through earlier wasn't serious.

"Hey, Al. Theo texted me that he got a ride from Tyler and his brother," Sophie said.

I nodded as if I also knew this, simultaneously checking my phone to see if I missed a text from Theo or Jacob. Blank screen. "Oh, yeah. He, uh, told me that earlier."

 _Way to let me know you're fine, baby brother,_ I thought bitterly to myself.

Back at home, I ate a quick snack consisting of a banana and peanut butter, then retreated to my room. Once the door was shut, I tried calling Theo. No answer. Then Jacob. Radio silence. I even tried Emily's cell, although that led to me to voicemail, too. I sighed and threw my phone on the bed, hands on my hips as I stared at the useless technology.

Since everyone seemed to be ignoring me, and Lily and Alex wouldn't be picking me up to see the movie until six, I settled into the tried and true window seat with my drawing pad and pastels. I'd started a landscape drawing of a river straddled by forest on either side. Nothing referenced, simply conjuring up what I wanted to see come to life with the images I saw in my bed. At some point or another, I took a peek through the window at the tree, whose branches swayed serenely in the wind, nearest the house, trying to get a closer look at the type of leaves I wanted to draw on the trees in my creation. I recognized the oak leaves, their round, green edges brightly displayed against the backdrop of today's pale gray skies. Memorizing as much detail from this distance as possible, I brought the view to life on the page, the scale much smaller.

I continued to take inspiration from my immediate surroundings, periodically glancing up from the sketch pad that slowly came to life with my creation. As I did so for the hundredth time, something new caught my attention.

"Is that a wolf?" I said this out loud due to pure shock. On the outskirts of the forest that surrounded our house and backyard, a reddish brown creature hovered, seemingly searching for something. Maybe a rabbit or some kind of food. I didn't know there were wolves in Washington, especially ones that approached populated areas. Although, hell, I didn't know much about the environment here period.

Pure curiosity made me get up, leave my art supplies behind, and hurriedly descend the stairs. Sophie was still in her office and Dominic had come home; I heard him moving around the kitchen. I walked past the kitchen and through the downstairs hall, past the small home office, and out the back door that opened up to a decently sized porch. The hammock that hung from the roof swung methodically in the breeze.

I walked to the edge of the porch, right where the steps began that led to the expansive and empty backyard, peering through the trees. I spotted the wolf—even from this far away I could clearly identify it as such—and noticed how abnormally large the beautiful animal seemed. The creature apparently heard my arrival, for I watched its gaze lock on me. I took a step back instinctively.

Did wolves eat people?

The animal moved forward slowly and I immediately retreated back inside. I wasn't going to chance him mistaking me for its prey. I watched it retreat back into the depths of the forest from the back door's glass windows.

"Did you know there are wolves around here?"

Back in the kitchen, Dominic was sitting at the island counter working on his laptop. He turned his head around at my appearance, raising his eyebrows in confusion at my comment.

"I saw one just now, out in the back," I clarified, gesturing toward the direction I'd come from.

"There were some people that reported seeing wolves a couple months ago, now that you mention it," my uncle recalled. "I remember one of my co-workers saying her husband swears he saw one while he was on a run."

There had to be a pack local to the area for whatever reason.

"It seemed harmless. Really big, though. It started coming toward me so I went back inside."

Dominic glanced up from what he was doing, his fingers hovering over the keyboard. "Harmless? It probably just thought you looked like a tasty snack. Why would you go towards it?"

I poured myself a glass of water from the water filter in the fridge. "I didn't. I was curious if it was actually a wolf so I went outside for two seconds."

"This isn't a Disney movie, Al. For future reference, maybe don't investigate dangerous animals."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Yeah, duly noted," I replied sarcastically.

Lily and Alex picked me up around six. I left a note for Sophie and Dominic, who were out with some friends for dinner, and let them know I'd be home around eleven or so. We were going to the nearest movie theater in Port Angeles, so we'd have a forty-five minute drive before getting there.

I'd put some effort into my appearance tonight and I used the compact mirror I'd brought to make sure none of my makeup smudged.

In the front seat, Alex went on and on about how hot James Franco was. At some point during her ramblings, I felt my phone buzzing. It was Jacob. I felt fresh irritation at him ignoring me all day, and promptly ignored the call, turning my phone off.

Let's see how _he_ liked being ignored. It might not have been the most mature thing in the world, but sometimes my stubbornness reared its ugly head.

"So what's with you and your friend?" Lily asked me a few minutes later.

"Which one?" I fidgeted in my seat, knowing where this conversation was headed.

Alex giggled. "The cute, tall one."

"Oh, Jacob?" I said as casually as possible. He was the only one who showed up at school; who else could they be talking about? "He's a good friend. Me and him and a bunch of other Quileutes hang out all the time. My brother, too."

Lily, the driver, exited off the highway into a more urban-looking area, although it was too dark to see much of what Port Angeles had to offer. "You ever thought about him being more than a friend?"

I opened my mouth to say no, but it wouldn't come out. I knew that possibility didn't exist, yet still I hesitated. I'd seen him talking to Bella and I'd heard a lot of shit from the boys when Jacob wasn't around.

"Um—not really," I responded after a beat.

"You should totally go for him," Lily insisted.

I shrugged, even though neither of them were looking directly at me. "I don't think he's into me like that."

"That's a shame, 'cause he's really fucking hot," said Alex, "and so are you. You would make beautiful babies."

We all laughed and that took some of the pressure off me. Before long we were at the theater. After buying our tickets separately, we bought way too much popcorn and candy and made our way into the theater to see the newest _Spider-Man_.

When I got home late that night, I realized how much of a good time I'd had, resolving to spend more time with the girls.

I finally turned on my phone and noticed that I had one more missed call from Jacob, as well as a text message.

 **JACOB:** Ur brother is safe. He's w/ Tyler and Jared. Call me back?

I went to sleep without responding.

 **A/N: Another update as promised! Planning on getting another chapter up before the week ends since next week I work like crazy. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Let me know what you think. Also any thoughts on what's happening to Theo? Leave me your thoughts and feelings in a review.**

 **XOXO**


	6. what's going on

**A/N: Oops... I am so sorry for the wait on this chapter. It's horrendously short, but I had the inspiration to kind of, sort of finish it to the point where I felt satisfied enough to post it. More will be coming soon. I'm sorry if the editing is complete garbage.**

 **SIX**

The five day weekend began on a sour note.

Most of the anger dissipated overnight, but I felt determined to go see my brother. Sophie and Dom were under the impression that Theo was staying over at the Cameron's for the weekend, simply content knowing he had made good friends. I suppose I could have found out what the hell was going on last night when Jacob called, although the irritation at being ignored for the entire day would have caused me to make more snarky marks than necessary. Now that I felt more calm and collected, I could find out the truth.

Post-breakfast, I retreated to my room, my fingers dialing Theo's number. Annoyingly enough, the call went to voicemail. I didn't bother to leave a message. Instead, I immediately called Jacob.

He picked up on the third ring. "Alba," he said, sounding relieved, "I was worried when you didn't call me."

The irony of that statement sent me into angry town yet again. " _You_ were worried?" So much for keeping my cool.

"You have every right to be mad at me for not calling you back yesterday, but I promise your brother is well taken care of. He's staying with Jared and Tyler. He's completely fine." Jacob spoke slowly and gently, as if trying not to set off a bomb.

"Jacob, you have no right to do that. He's my baby brother! I'm coming to get him. He should be at home!" I exclaimed, pacing quickly back and forth across the hardwood floors of my bedroom.

Jacob's voice sounded stressed. "No—don't do that. I mean, that's not necessary. Let him chill out at their house. You guys have a break from school, he'll be fine—"

I interrupted him. "After what I saw yesterday, I want to see him. I don't understand why you of all people are telling me I can't. You're supposed to be my friend, and you ignored me all damn day after hauling Theo in your car after what happened. It wasn't normal."

"I'm sorry," he responded, and I knew immediately he meant it genuinely. "You are my friend. I just think it would be best-"

Despite his apology, it didn't add up in my head. "I have to go, Jacob. I'll talk to you later."

All I heard before hanging up was Jacob saying, "Alba, wait!"

Protective sister mode officially took over. Fuck what Jacob said. I was going to see my brother. He couldn't tell me no.

Sophie let me borrow her car. I looked sort of a mess, having hurriedly taken a shower and dressed in mismatched clothing, my hair tossed messily into a low bun, stray strands sticking out from the ponytail that secured it. My appearance was obviously the last thing on my mind. I couldn't help believing that Jacob and my brother were hiding something. Why else wouldn't I be able to see him? It didn't make sense.

I drove rather wildly to Jared and Tyler's house, having waited long enough in my opinion. When I approached the driveway, I saw with a sinking in my stomach that a familiar VW Rabbit sat parked in the driveway.

Had Jacob suspected I would go against his wishes? Or had he been here the whole time, making sure Theo was okay?

I parked Sophie's car in front of the Cameron's house, slamming the driver's side door behind me as I marched purposefully up to the front door. My hand raised to knock on their front door, when it opened of its own accord. Jacob stood behind it, his face looking exasperated.

In the far corners of my mind—the rational, non-angry, non-stubborn parts that rarely won over their counterparts—I felt a twinge of happiness at seeing Jacob. Truly, however, I wanted to smack him for being so infuriating about this whole situation.

"Where's Theo?" I demanded. That was definitely the right word to describe the tone of voice, as well as my stance as I stood there: feet planted firmly, arms crossed over my chest.

Jacob rubbed his eyes; he clearly had not been getting much sleep. "Alba..."

"I don't care what you say, I'm not going anywhere until I see my brother."

A slow grin began to spread the corners of his mouth, which simultaneously confused and further irritated me.

"What are you smiling about?" I asked, feeling my brows furrow together.

"The look on your face—and the determination you have." Jacob started laughing. "You're so goddamn _stubborn_. Theo told us you wouldn't listen to me, but I thought you might. He was right." He continued to laugh.

"Stop laughing." It only made me madder.

Jacob grinned. "Stop pouting."

I took a long, deep breath, then exhaled before responding, refraining myself from rolling my eyes. "Come on, Jacob, stop playing games."

He stepped his giant frame away from the door, allowing me to pass through. Walking with typical long strides, he led me through the kitchen toward the basement door. There didn't seem to be any evidence that Iris or her husband were home, so I assumed they were at work or otherwise occupied as Jacob and I walked down the rickety steps into the dimly lit man cave I'd come to know and love.

Theo lay lazily on the couch, his long legs hanging off the far edge. A video game controller in his hands, he played the same zombie game he and Tyler favored. Speaking of, Tyler sat on one of the bean bags, encouraging and aiding him as usual.

I felt myself exhale in relief. Of course, Jacob reassured me that Theo was safe, but seeing it was something else. The fear of losing my brother existed irrationally in my brain. I couldn't take another loss; I might not survive it.

"Theo, Jesus Christ, don't ever scare me like that again." I went over to the where he lounged and hugged him tightly as best I could in his current position. I quickly released him when I notice the sweat that clung to him. "Ew, why are you so sweaty?"

My brother handed the controller to Tyler to take over playing the game. He used his arms—why did they look so much more bulky now? Had he been working out?-to push himself into an upright position. "Sorry, it's kind of hot down here."

I sat down on the arm of the couch beside him, brimful of questions. Jacob hovered near the couch at the opposite end, his muscled arms folded over his chest.

"What happened to you yesterday? Are you sick?"

Theo exchanged glances with Jacob, as if asking permission to speak. "Kind of sick. I just had a bad stomachache. Old Quil helped me out, gave me some medicine. I'm feeling better, but Iris is letting me stay over for the rest of the break."

I frowned. "What kind of medicine?"

Jacob stepped in here. "It's not really medicine. It's sort of an old cocktail full of good herbs and stuff, like ginger. He's into natural remedies."

Theo nodded in agreement. "He's really cool, Al, you'd like him."

Out of everything strange that occurred over the last twenty-four hours, perhaps the strangest of all was my brother's overall demeanor. While still the moody teenager I'd come to accept, he appeared slightly more at peace. A welcome change, but I wondered where it came from. Maybe all the friends he'd acquired. Certainly they were good people for taking care of him so well.

"We're doing the bonfire Saturday night," Jacob added. "You should come. Old Quil is going to tell the stories I told you about when you first came here."

I nodded, not committing to anything. I still felt some type of way about how Jacob handled all this. Whatever "this" was.

"Why haven't you been answering your phone?" I wondered next.

My brother had the decency to be embarrassed. "Sorry...I wasn't feeling too good. I didn't feel like talking."

I rolled my eyes. "Theo, with all due respect, you're fourteen years old. You can't just disappear like that. It's not cool."

"I texted Sophie," he defended himself.

"Yeah, and you made me look like an idiot, getting sent to voicemail a million times. You couldn't have sent me a text, too?"

Theo shrugged, his eyes trained on the TV. "Sorry."

"Sorry," I muttered. "Whatever."

The same grin reappeared on Jacob's face. "C'mon, Alba, he's fine. Stop pouting. I promised you he'd be in good hands."

Easy for him to say. He didn't have to be worried all day and night. What I said was, "Whatever," which only made him smile more.

Despite getting to see that Theo was safe and sound, I had a nagging feeling that there were thousands more questions still lingering. Something weird was happening, I just couldn't put my finger on it. Knowing my nosy ass, the truth would come out eventually. I hoped I could be patient enough until then.

I hung out with Theo for a good while, until I felt like my presence was cramping his style a little. I reluctantly left him and Tyler to themselves. Jacob followed me upstairs, where he led me to Sophie's car. I unlocked the door, opening it, then turning to look at Jacob.

"You know, I really hate what you did," I told him.

He ran his hand through his hair. I noticed how torn he seemed at the fact that I was upset with him. "I know, Alba. I'm really sorry. I did what I thought was best, for Theo and you."

I couldn't understand that explanation. What would have been wrong with me seeing him yesterday? There had to be underlying information to what went on, but I decided not to push the subject. I wouldn't get any farther than I had gotten. At least I got to see Theo. That was what mattered, I supposed.

For now.

I sighed in defeat, feeling all leftover annoyance and anger roll off my body. All the negative emotions could really take a toll on you. "It's okay, Jake. I forgive you. It's just—he's my little brother, okay? Sometimes it seems he's all I have left. If anything happened to him..." The thought faded out, but the implication hung heavy in the air between us.

At that moment, Jacob took one of my hands in his. The gesture was more intimate than I could handle, though I let him do it, relishing in the skin to skin contact, how warm and comforting that small gesture was.

"Theo is not all you have left," Jacob assured me, his eyes locking with mine. "As long as I'm around, you'll never be alone."

I did not know how to properly process the words he said; how full of meaning they were, one of the most sincere statements anyone had spoken to me. I could tell just how much he meant the words he spoke. I opened my mouth to say something in return, but fell short, simply nodding.

Jacob brought me close to his chest, his arms engulfing me in their protective nature.

As we released from the hug—the chill of the early afternoon more pronounced without his heated embrace—I looked at him once more before getting inside the car. "Thank you, Jacob."

 **A/N: Please let me know what you thought! Any guesses on what's going on? Favorite character? Leave a review with your comments, questions, concerns, etc. Till next time!**

 **XOXO**


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